(VOVWORLD) -Nazareth, the biblical city of the Annunciation and childhood home of Jesus, is reviving the Christmas spirit with hopes after more than two difficult years of conflict.
The tree in the central square of Nazareth was lit up on Wednesday evening and attracted tens of thousands of people.
This is symbolic attempt to open a new chapter after the 26-month conflict, which has severely damaged the economy, trade and tourism in Nazareth.
During the conflict, Nazareth residents said they could not celebrate Christmas because it was emotionally impossible to celebrate with so many human sufferings.
Khaled Khalifa, Chairman of the Arab Foreign Affairs Council in Israel, said locals expect the tree lighting ceremony to mark a new beginning for the city in terms of economy, society, trade, politics and tourism.